Isaiah 38:22
“Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Hezekiah asks for a sign that his recovery is real and that he will return to worship God.
Context
This verse connects Isaiah 38:22 to Isaiah 38:7-8, where God promises Hezekiah a sign: the shadow on the sundial will move backward ten degrees. It represents Hezekiah's faith seeking confirmation and God's willingness to grant it.
What Does Isaiah 38:22 Mean?
Hezekiah's question is both simple and profound. What is the sign? He is not asking for doubt to be removed; he is asking for confirmation, for a mark that makes his deliverance real and public. He wants to know that he will return to the house of the LORD. This matters to him. Not merely to live, but to live in worship, in community, in the presence of God's people.
The question also points backward to Isaiah's promise and forward to what God will do. God has already answered with the poultice and the years added to his life. But Hezekiah wants a sign that others can see, a mark that settles the matter beyond doubt. God will provide it: the shadow on the sundial will go backward, a visible wonder that assures Hezekiah that his life has been extended and his return to the temple is certain.
Application
When faith wavers, it is not weak to ask God for reassurance. Hezekiah asks for a sign, and God gives it. We can bring our doubts and our requests for confirmation to God without shame. We can ask to know that we are on the right path, that our recovery is real, that we will reach the place of worship we long for.